I haven't gone through the whole thread (36 pages!) but i think calling Spain boring is extremely unpopular. I was saying it circa 2010 and I stand by it today. The amount of flak and ad hominens I've gotten for expressing this, are breathtaking...

(Original post by Flair91)
I haven't gone through the whole thread (36 pages!) but i think calling Spain boring is extremely unpopular. I was saying it circa 2010 and I stand by it today. The amount of flak and ad hominens I've gotten for expressing this, are breathtaking...

(Original post by Mess.)
Spain aren't boring, Spains matches are boring. There is a difference.

I disagree. Doing 6-yard passes to the side or back isn't my idea of entertainment. Or the classic Spanish "just beaten the full back, better track back and pass it into the centre".

(Original post by Darth Vader 7)
Exactly. Not Spain's fault that teams have to defend for their lives to get anything out of the match.

Italy tried to attack Spain in the finals, you saw what happened.

Well Italy didn't "defend for their lives" when they drew 1-1 with Spain in the group match. Nope, Spain were brilliant and exciting in the final but for the rest of the Euros they were working at 60%. Happy to pass it around and win by a small margin. They proved they can be brilliant (see final) but in other games they prefer to chill out and give me a boring match.

A slightly controversial one but one I genuinely believe and that is that I believe that white football players are technically, tactically and in some cases, mentally superior to black football players.

It's interesting to notice the trend in young black players coming through. You notice that black players tend to be 1) strikers ... often a quick, well built forward with goal threat or a huge unit who holds the ball up etc .... very often 2) wingers, which suits their physical build and speed as well as serving them with the chance to go off on dribbles ..... 3) defenders, which again suits their physical build and speed but almost never central midfield players. Central midfield players are the fulcrum of any team, the core of the operations that balances everything from defence to attack. It combines technical ability, tactical understanding, a maturity, disicpline and composure amongst other things. I can't think of any top black central midfield players in the Premier League (or generally the world) that DON'T rely on their build, athleticism and speed to compete. Yaya Toure is a great footballer although he wouldn't be the half the player he is if he was built like Joe Allen. His whole game revolves around the fact that he is an absolute giant of a bloke, that he simply controls the game due to his sheer size and power. If he was built like Joe Allen he wouldn't be able to exert that same level of control, and he wouldn't be able to power through defences like he does. Alot of black players rely on their build/pace.

Ps .. when I say black players I mean black players, not mix raced. Even then many mix raced centre mids rely on their build/pace ... think Tom Huddlestone.

Now before you call me racist ... provide me with some reasoned argument to prove me wrong? Name me a black central midfield footballer (preferably someone in the Premier League so we know him), who is like Joe Allen or Paul Scholes or Santi Cazorla or Jack Wilshere or Yohan Cabaye or Leon Britton. None of those players are defined by their power and pace.

(Original post by Skill)
A slightly controversial one but one I genuinely believe and that is that I believe that white football players are technically, tactically and in some cases, mentally superior to black football players.

It's interesting to notice the trend in young black players coming through. You notice that black players tend to be 1) strikers ... often a quick, well built forward with goal threat or a huge unit who holds the ball up etc .... very often 2) wingers, which suits their physical build and speed as well as serving them with the chance to go off on dribbles ..... 3) defenders, which again suits their physical build and speed but almost never central midfield players. Central midfield players are the fulcrum of any team, the core of the operations that balances everything from defence to attack. It combines technical ability, tactical understanding, a maturity, disicpline and composure amongst other things. I can't think of any top black central midfield players in the Premier League (or generally the world) that DON'T rely on their build, athleticism and speed to compete. Yaya Toure is a great footballer although he wouldn't be the half the player he is if he was built like Joe Allen. His whole game revolves around the fact that he is an absolute giant of a bloke, that he simply controls the game due to his sheer size and power. If he was built like Joe Allen he wouldn't be able to exert that same level of control, and he wouldn't be able to power through defences like he does. Alot of black players rely on their build/pace.

Ps .. when I say black players I mean black players, not mix raced. Even then many mix raced centre mids rely on their build/pace ... think Tom Huddlestone.

Now before you call me racist ... provide me with some reasoned argument to prove me wrong? Name me a black central midfield footballer (preferably someone in the Premier League so we know him), who is like Joe Allen or Paul Scholes or Santi Cazorla or Jack Wilshere or Yohan Cabaye or Leon Britton. None of those players are defined by their power and pace.

What utter tosh. Firstly, Toure is actually very good on the ball, if you were to pay attention you'd see that, he isn't just some battering ram.
As for your last paragraph - Essien, Ramires, Tiote to name but three who aren't just power and pace.

(Original post by Alofleicester)
What utter tosh. Firstly, Toure is actually very good on the ball, if you were to pay attention you'd see that, he isn't just some battering ram.
As for your last paragraph - Essien, Ramires, Tiote to name but three who aren't just power and pace.

Tbf Essien and Ramires rely a lot on their power/pace. Tiote I never really watch enough but as the poster above was saying, Tiote definitely isn't technical. The poster is asking for intelligent, technical players who play in central midfield.

(Original post by Alofleicester)
What utter tosh. Firstly, Toure is actually very good on the ball, if you were to pay attention you'd see that, he isn't just some battering ram.
As for your last paragraph - Essien, Ramires, Tiote to name but three who aren't just power and pace.

Crikey. Did I say Toure couldn't play football? If you read my post I said he was a great footballer. I just said that if he was built like Joe Allen he wouldn't be half the player he is - and that's true! That's what gives him the edge at the top level. Take that away from him and he can't exert that authority and command that he does. There are players in League 1 and 2 with great ability on the ball - doesn't make them a top player. They lack other ingredients.

Sorry but Essien and Tiote are UNITS. Tiote is short but but he is built like a beast and the same with Essien. These guys are strong, strong men. Built like tanks. I repeat, if they were built like Joe Allen they would not be the same player. That doesn't mean they wouldn't be decent enough footballers but maybe not top level like they are now. Tiote is a decent footballer, very good infact but again the truth is that he is a very strong and quick footballer. That gives him and edge in a competitive area of the field. He's not a Paul Scholes or Joe Allen or Andres Iniesta - and out and out passing technical footballer.

Are you taking the mick with Ramires? He's not a particularly technical player. His whole game revolves around his workrate. There is no way on earth he can be described as a technical player and compared to people like Scholes and Cazorla. If you believe that you genuinely don't get football. He's a farly ordinary player technically, for the top level. He's where he's at because his workrate is unbelievable and as well as that he is fast and sturdy? again very strong for a small guy.

(Original post by Mess.)
Tbf Essien and Ramires rely a lot on their power/pace. Tiote I never really watch enough but as the poster above was saying, Tiote definitely isn't technical. The poster is asking for intelligent, technical players who play in central midfield.

I'd disagree with Essien - yes he was a fairly powerful player, but he could also be devastating going forwards, likewise from what I've seen of Tiote he's a good passer.

(Original post by Alofleicester)
I'd disagree with Essien - yes he was a fairly powerful player, but he could also be devastating going forwards, likewise from what I've seen of Tiote he's a good passer.

I don't think you get the point the poster was making.

Technical, slightly built players who's game is almost 100% about their passing and/or technical ability.

Essien was devastating because of his physical attributes, not his technical ones. Same with Tiote.

(Original post by Alofleicester)
I'd disagree with Essien - yes he was a fairly powerful player, but he could also be devastating going forwards, likewise from what I've seen of Tiote he's a good passer.

yes but powerful is exactly what I said. If he wasn't such a powerhouse where would he be in the football ladder? Not as high probably. Still a decent footballer but again, if he was built like Paul Scholes or Joe Allen - he wouldn't have the same influence.

Similarly with Tiote, a good passer he indeed is. Not as consistently precise a passer as Paul Scholes or Joe Allen though and not as technically rounded as those 2 either. Tiote is an engine. If he didn't have the engine and the power, his lack of an all round technical game would show up more. That doesn't mean he's not a good player, he is. He might interest some of the top clubs because he is a commanding premier league player in his position. But he hasn't got the skill of his Newcastle compatriot Yohan Cabaye.